Feb 25, 2007

Police: Fake traveler's checks making rounds

By Kristina Peterson / Daily News Staff Writer

Counterfeit traveler's checks have been used at six different local retailers in the last three weeks, Palo Alto police reported this week.

Beginning with an incident Jan. 31, six businesses told police that a black adult woman bought merchandise worth about $20 with a $100 AAA traveler's check and then received her change in cash.

Agent Donna Arndt of the Palo Alto Police Department said the suspect's age, height and weight have been described differently, but that in "a couple cases the description was close enough that we believe it might be the same suspect."

The counterfeit checks were stamped with both the AAA and Visa logos. The local AAA office said valid checks do not have a Visa logo. But traveler's checks are hard to authenticate because no watermark or special pen can be used to verify them.

Arndt advised businesses to contact the company that issued the traveler's checks to see if the serial numbers confirm a valid check.

E-mail Kristina Peterson at kpeterson@dailynewsgroup.com.